Alright, ready for some more mischief and family bonds? Here we go ;)
Sunshine tickled his nose. He shifted a little, trying to go back to sleep for a while before he eventually opened his eyes and blinked a few times.
He lay in a big bed with a wooden frame and the softest down-filled cushions and a colourful quilt. Above him, the ceiling was held up by massive wooden beams and bits and pieces of the thatched roof glimmered through various small holes. Everything smelled of forest and wet moss and birds chirped by the wide open windows with green folding shutters.
When he sat up, a short bolt of pain shot through his side and looking down at his body, he noticed that his chest and side were thoroughly bandaged. Wondering where he was and how he got here, he swung his legs off the bed, a little surprised that his feet didn't even touch the ground. Obviously it was the home of a big person.
Just as he was about to jump off the bed, he heard voices from outside and stopped mid-way.
"Oh no. No no no, not again. What are you doing?!"
"I'm truly sorry but nobody can really live like that."
Fíli raised his eyebrows when he recognised Oris voice. If he was here, where was the rest of them?
"Didn't I tell you to stop him if he tried it again? I told you!"
"Sorry, I guess I'm still way too physically impaired to stop him", sounded a very familiar and very amused voice. Fíli immediately broke into the brightest smile imaginable. He was here! His brother was here too!
Ignoring the pain, Fíli hopped off the bed and made his way to the door, slowly since his circulation wasn't quite with him yet, but setting one bare foot before the next, he eventually got there. When he opened the front door though, a sight unfolded before him, that he had not anticipated.
Ori stood in the middle of a glade in front of the house, hanging up sheets, towels and clothes on a washing line, amongst them Fílis own shirt, jerkin and vest. Bustling around him was Radagast, who seemed utterly unhappy with the cleaning of his belongings. Kíli sat on a wooden table next to the house, young Master Bilbo next to him on a bench, happily watching the scene before them.
"Oh no no no", Radagast muttered. "Is there anything you didn't wash?"
"I washed everything that needed to be washed. So basically- everything", Ori replied clearly uncomfortable. Being that rude and intriguing wasn't in his nature usually but after seeing the state of Rhosgobel, the beloved home of Radagast, he had quickly convinced himself that nobody would heal quickly in this place.
The chit-chattering between the two of them went on for a little while before Radagast noticed Fíli standing by the door, quietly and confused as to what was going on.
"AH!", he exclaimed, making everyone jump. "The patient is awake!"
Only a second later, Fíli found himself tackled to the ground by his younger brother, both groaning various forms of "ouch" and "oh dear" and "in Durins name" and "did you HAVE to do that", since Kíli, as it was typical for him, had of course forgotten about any injury at the sight of his brother.
"You're awake!", the younger burst out, gleaming with joy as he was happily sitting on his brothers stomach.
"Kíli- Kíli, my side", came a raspy answer and Kíli quickly got up from his brother and carefully pulled him back on his feet.
"Sorry", he muttered. "I didn't mean to- I- I'm just- you're awake!" And he flung his arms around Fílis neck, a little more careful this time and his brother returned the loving gesture. Bilbo smiled gleefully, as did Ori who noticed too late that Radagast had begun to snatch various pieces of pretty antique looking underwear from the washing line.
They sat Fíli down on the bench and the wizard prepared a warm mixture of herbs, honey and mead for his patient, as well as a rustic meal that reminded the young dwarves a little of home but was entirely unfamiliar to the hobbit. Stew, salted pork, smoked ham, mature cheese and dark bread stood on the table and though he was eating carefully, Fíli was well hungry and dug in happily.
"How long was I out?", he asked, trying to remember the few table manners he had, since Radagast did not seem to approve of the usual dwarven way of having a meal and neither did Bilbo, who vividly remembered his destroyed kitchen in Bag End.
"Three days nearly", Kíli replied with his mouth full, caring much less than his brother, while Ori attempted to behave as well. "I thought you were never gonna wake up again! But I wasn't allowed to try waking you."
"And he woke up all by himself, just as I told you, now didn't he?", Radagast muttered a little displeased, a pipe in his hand. Kíli, still injured himself, had surely been a handful in those last three days, constantly by his brothers side and so badly worried, that he wouldn't shut up.
They told Fíli everything that had happened since he had killed the beast and also explained the split up of the group. Not only did he learn about the missing key, and he surely wasn't happy about that, Ori also solemnly explained to Fíli, that he had been given the responsibility for bringing them back safely to the company.
"I have to get you up north?", food and drink were forgotten and the eldest brother suddenly grew a little pale.
"Now now, don't faint again", Radagast quickly filled his cup up.
"Come on, that's gonna be a piece of cake", Kíli smiled. "And you're not alone! You got us!"
Fíli glanced from one to the next. His brother, a very skilled fighter but hot headed and injured. Ori, who couldn't fight at all but at least knew the area from previous travelling. And Bilbo, who was neither a fighter nor a real burglar but somehow had managed to remain unharmed so far.
"Well", he smiled warily. "It'll do, right?"
"You won't be setting off before you both are fully healed though!"
Kíli rolled his eyes at the wizard and had a piece of cheese chucked at him in return.
"I made a promise to your father and-"
"He's our uncle."
"Whatever. I will not let you leave until you're up and ready. The further you journey on north, the more orcs and wargs you will encounter. Mount Gundabad is their realm not yours."
"It was ours once", Fíli replied but quickly had to admit that the last time dwarves had set foot into Mount Gundabad and survived had been in the last Age. They had to swear to Radagast to not sneak out on him and stay at Rhosgobel until both of them were remarkably better. While Fíli and Ori were well aware of the little time they had to reclaim Erebor, Kíli worried most about boredom. The only one seemingly content was Bilbo, who enjoyed the meal and a smoke and looked generally happy about not having to fight anything for a while.
Later that night, after Ori, the hobbit and the wizard had already gone to sleep, the two brothers were still sitting outside Radagasts house. Some torches lit up the glade, crickets were chirping in the night and fireflies danced through the darkness of the forest surrounding them.
Fíli sat on the bench, his back towards his brother who sat on the table behind him, cups of wine beside them. With a low clicking sound, one of the golden clips closed around a strand of Fílis blond, freshly braided hair. Content with his work, Kíli leaned back and took a sip of wine.
"It's nice, I guess."
"What is?"
"The quietness. It's like there's nothing dangerous here at all."
Fíli just muttered a quiet "Mh-hm", chewing on one of the poppy seeds the elves had given to Kíli. They really did help against the pain but tasted awful and Fíli was quick to swallow them with a neat mouthful of wine.
"I'm not really sure about the whole 'living in the wild' bit though, you know. With all those critters and rodents and there's just trees everywhere and we're not even allowed to touch anything because apparently that stuff can feel too, but it's quiet. Did you hear him say they could feel? The trees? Do you think rocks can feel? I don't think they can, I mean, they're rocks, right? Anyways staying here for too long would do my head in. Seriously. Yours too right? I wouldn't want to live in the woods like that, I-"
When Kíli suddenly grew very quiet, Fíli blinked irritated. After all the chattiness that his brother had made them endure during the day, the sudden silence seemed somewhat odd.
"You alright?", he asked, wanting to look back over his shoulder but was stopped in his movement, when his brother suddenly wrapped his arms around him, burying his face in his neck.
"Kíli?", he sounded a little startled. "What's the matter?"
No sound came from his brother, no reply at all but the quiet shaking of the body in his back said enough. More than words ever could. Kílis arms around his neck were trembling as the youngster silently cried. Never before had Fíli seen his brother like that, unsure what to do.
"Don't ever do that to me again", Kíli finally croaked, his voice drenched with fear and relief at the same time. "Ever. You understand?"
All the pain, all the frustration, all the anxiety and guilt that Kíli had kept to himself in the last couple of days finally leaked out. He had been strong and brave. So incredibly brave. For himself, for everybody else, for Thorin especially to whom he didn't want to seem weak. He had promised himself that the fear of losing his brother wouldn't take the best of him, that it wouldn't affect him. And he had kept that promise right until now.
But sitting here now, with the one person he loved most, he didn't need to be brave and strong anymore. He had his brother back and his brother would protect him again. His brother wouldn't judge. With his brother, he could just be himself.
And Fíli didn't judge. He didn't say anything as he lifted his hands and gently clasped Kílis trembling fingers.
"How about-", Fíli began quietly, a smile tugging at his lips. "How about we promise each other that we both won't ever do that again?"
For while, the silent sobbing in his neck continued before Fíli noticed that it had slowly turned into a chuckle. Still a little choked but he could feel how Kílis grip around himself relaxed a little.
"Yeah", the younger snuffled as he sat up again, finally allowing Fíli to turn around and face him. He looked a little flushed and incredibly young and Fíli gave his brother a reassuring smile. "Yeah, we should do that. And do it properly!"
It didn't even take a second before a mischievous glint showed in the eyes of the brothers, as it usually did when they were up to no good. It had been like that years ago in the Blue Mountains when they were still children and not much had changed ever since.
They didn't even need to talk about it, as Kíli quickly drew one of his daggers and didn't hesitate for long before he cut himself in the palm of his right hand, then handing it over to Fíli who did the same. It was surprisingly easy and barely painful at all, though both boys forgot that they were high on poppy seeds and would most likely regret this tomorrow.
"Swear!", Kíli exclaimed, quickly wiping the tears off his cheeks as he held his hand out.
"I swear", Fíli declared, as did Kíli and they shook their bleeding hands on it. It was in this moment, that Radagast emerged from the house and let out a scream that sent the birds in the surrounding trees flying.
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE VALAR ARE YOU TWO DOING?!"
Ori and Bilbo were woken by Radagasts panic-fuelled voice scolding and ranting, cursing the dwarven stupidity, calling Fíli and Kíli the 'greatest blockheads he had ever encountered and that said something since he was talking to trees most of the time' while he scurried around to look for herbs and more bandages.
The brothers on the other hand just laughed it off and all the joy and relief of the world laid in that laughter. Because once they promised something, they kept it. Especially when it was a promise that only concerned the two of them.